SWOOSH!
FWOOOMPH!
SWOOSH!
The grassy backyard echoed with the sound of Kael's mechanical boots. The hydraulic system controlled his speed and softened every landing as the test to take Commander Aeronis's dragon-head badge had begun only a few minutes ago.
Kael kept trying to close the distance, but Aeronis always remained just out of reach. Neither of them had drawn their swords yet. It was still a battle of the mind.
SWOOOOSH!
Cih! He dodged it! Kael thought, staring at his hand after nearly grabbing Aeronis's badge.
"Ha! Good speed! You've become even faster than when we first met, Kael!" Commander Aeronis praised him with a grin.
"But try a different strategy! Come on, you're not reaching me like that," he mocked.
SWOOSH!
Another burst of speed exploded from Kael's boots, but this time his movement was different.
Instead of rushing straight ahead, Kael dashed toward Aeronis's right side.Then he fastly moved around him. As he moved, he dropped strange red-painted metal balls onto the ground.
One after another.
Thirteen in total.
The balls surrounded Aeronis like a gate formation.
"Hmm? What is that?" Aeronis thought.
SWOOSH!
Kael then created a large gap between them.
"So? You're planning to take my badge from that distance?" Aeronis called out.
Kael didn't move.
He didn't respond.
Instead, he quietly reached for his mechanical sword on his back. But this time, instead of using the long blade, Kael used the shorter one.
Kael then pointed the sword toward the red aluminum balls surrounding Aeronis.
SWOOOSH!
The short blade detached from the sword's handle and shot forward at incredible speed toward its target.
TSUUB!
The blade pierced one of the red balls.
The moment it penetrated the thin metal shell, the ball began hissing violently.
Then-
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!
A violent explosion erupted alongside a blinding flash of light. The first ball triggered a chain reaction, causing the others to explode one after another.
Commander Aeronis immediately jumped back, shocked by the sudden blast.
He took several steps away as his vision struggled to recover from the intense flash.
"What is that technique? Has he finally learned to use a Might ability?" he thought.
But more importantly… where is Kael right-
SWOOSH!
Aeronis instantly reacted after hearing the sound of Kael's mechanical boots behind him. He narrowly dodged the attack in time.
"Good one, Kael!" he praised with a grin.
Kael raised the sword handle straight forward.
SHINK!
The detached short blade quickly flew back and reattached itself to the handle as if pulled by an invisible force.
"Mechanical sword? As expected from my brain-user student… But… I've never seen a mechanical sword float like that before… Did he build it himself…? Or…"
SWOOSH!
Kael rushed forward again, continuing to close the distance, but Aeronis refused to let him get near.
Commander Aeronis still hadn't used any Might ability. Until now, he had only been dodging and barely attacking, mainly because the gap in power between them was still too large.
The endless cycle of Kael chasing and Aeronis dodging finally broke when Aeronis suddenly turned offensive.
"Alright, Kael! It's my turn now. Seems like you're enjoying attacking me a little too much, huh?"
Aeronis leaped backward, creating distance between them.
Then water suddenly gathered around his hand.
A floating sphere of water formed before instantly freezing and shaping itself into a long, sharp ice sword with a surface hard as crystal.
SWOOOSH!
Aeronis dashed forward at terrifying speed. From Kael's perspective, it looked almost instant, but on Aeronis's side, it was nothing more than raw physical strength without using any Might.
Too fast, no time to dodge.
Kael had no choice but to block.
He quickly grabbed the caged sphere with the floating white crystal inside. The object was large enough to act as a shield, and Kael held it with only one hand.
Even Commander Aeronis looked surprised as his eyes narrowed.
"One hand? You're underestimating me, Kael!"
SWOOOOSH!
The thin sharp ice sword swung down with overwhelming force.
KTAANG!
A bright flash burst out the moment the sword collided against the caged sphere.
Then, in an instant—
"ARRGH!"
Kael was blasted away by the sheer power behind Aeronis's swing.
SHREEECH…
Kael's mechanical boots scraped hard against the ground as they absorbed the impact. He steadied his stance, maintained his balance, and tightened his grip on the sword, preparing for Aeronis's next move.
His eyes never left the dragon badge.
"Well, Kael? How was that? You still dare to block my attacks?" Aeronis mocked him.
Kael's friends remained silent.
The clash between the two was completely one-sided.
With just a single swing without even using the real sword on his back and only a Might-created ice sword Commander Aeronis had already thrown Kael several meters away.
How… just how is Kael supposed to take the badge if he can't even get close to him, let alone touch it?
But even with the massive gap in power… even though the previous clash still left his muscles sore… Kael knew he had to continue.
I need another plan…
I need to close the distance…
But… why did this caged sphere create such a bright light when it collided with his ice sword just now…?
Kael's thoughts ran wildly, but Aeronis gave him no time to think.
SWOOOSH!
Once again, Aeronis rushed forward with his ice sword.
SWOOOOSH!
This time, Kael didn't block with the caged sphere.
Instead, he pulled out Tesseract his mechanical sword and used it to intercept Aeronis's attack.
KTAANG!
He managed to block it, but the impact still sent his body flying backward.
"UGHHH!"
The force made Kael struggle to stay standing.
He forced himself to regain balance and rise once more because his goal was never to duel Aeronis head-on.
His goal was simple.
Grab the red dragon badge.
I can't keep defending like this…
I need to strike…
I need to close the distance…
If melee attacks don't work… then it's time for the ranged sword style… even though… I still haven't fully mastered it ye-
"Looks like you still need more training, Kael."
Aeronis looked toward Liraen, Grak'Mar, and Volgran, the mentors of Kael's Tiang Tiga Aspect.
"Well, I haven't seen anything surprising from the Tiang Tiga Aspect yet," he taunted.
"It seems your training hasn't been effective enough…"
CLICK!
Kael reattached the long blade back onto the handle while keeping the short blade in his hand. Then, without hesitation, he dropped it to the ground.
The short blade hovered floating steadily in the air.
Kael adjusted his stance, recalling what Liraen had taught him during the past six months.
Alright, Commander… don't blame them. They did their job well enough. Now it's on me, right?
So stop blaming them… and focus on the test, can you?
Kael's eyes burned with determination. This time, he wasn't scattered. He wasn't uncertain. His stance was grounded, and his heartbeat was steady calm.
Aeronis smirked.
"Oh, my bad, Kael."
SWOOSH!
Aeronis slashed his ice sword and pointed it toward Kael from a distance. Cold mist poured from the blade, the frost curling through the air like breath itself evidence of his precise control over Might.
"Now come at me, human!"
Without hesitation, Kael's mechanical boots groaned under pressure.
THUMPH!
The ground exploded beneath him as he launched forward with terrifying speed. Even his friends reacted in shock.
"What is that?!"
"Incredible, human!"
"Human… good!" Volgran muttered, genuinely amazed.
None of them had ever seen this kind of acceleration from Kael not even during training.
KTAANG!!
Their swords collided mid-air.
Kael leaned into Aeronis's ice blade, forcing every ounce of strength forward. Sparks of pressure and energy rippled between them as both weapons locked.
SCRREEECHT!
Metal and ice strained against each other.
Kael gritted his teeth, pushing harder, trying to overpower Aeronis with sheer will.
But Aeronis didn't budge.
Not even slightly.
He held his ice sword with one hand, expression calm, almost effortless.
The pressure built… and built…
Until
SWOOOSH!
Kael's floating blade shot through the air again, nearly grazing Aeronis.
But at the last moment-
"Whoa! That almost hit me…"
Aeronis tilted his body slightly, dodging it like it was nothing and took a step back. His voice carried calm amusement.
Then he glanced at the blade in mid-air, still hovering.
"…How is that thing even floating?"
His expression shifted slightly, more curious now than cautious.
His sword strength isn't weak… but it still shouldn't be enough for this…
Once again, the distance between them widened.
But Kael didn't retreat.
He pressed forward again.
Attack after attack same method, different angles, different timing. Relentless pressure.
Aeronis began to notice it too.
"His stamina… is good! despite only six months of training."
Even so, Kael's movements started to slow.
Pant… pant…
"No way… I can't even break through that ice sword…"
Kael's thoughts tightened.
So that's why no one has been able to touch that badge for a hundred years…
If even a realm protector nor the Mishanters can't reach him… let alone me…
Kael's breathing grew heavier, but he still refused to fall.
"Come on, Kael, I don't have all day here."
Aeronis smirked, casually pointing at the dragon badge on his chest.
"How much… how much time do I have left to take that badge, Commander?" Kael asked between breaths.
"Glad you asked." Aeronis tilted his head slightly. "When does your training usually end?."
"At night… Night is the last aspect… Tawan…" Kael replied, still panting.
"Then that's your time limit."
Aeronis's voice sharpened just a little.
"Before midnight, you take this badge. If you can't… you train another six months before you get another chance."
Silence.
Kael slowly tightened his grip.
And forced himself to stand again.
He now slowed his attack pattern more carefully, more calculated, no longer blindly rushing forward.
Eventually, he managed to hold his stamina until late evening. But just as the sun dipped lower, Kael nearly collapsed to the ground.
Around them, his friends had started to lose focus. Some sat down to rest, no longer watching the repetitive clash. Only Mayana and DaguGaran remained standing, still observing quietly.
"Haaah… it's so tiring… I can't even reach him…"
Kael sighed, but Aeronis still showed no reaction, even after such a long exchange.
"Hahaha! How are you going to face real enemies if you can't even last a day in battle, Kael?" Aeronis taunted.
"Stand up. You still have time. If you don't want to… then I'll attack you again!."
SWOOSH!
KTAANG!
Kael barely raised his weapon in time, blocking the strike with the last of his strength. The impact sent him flying back again.
Elvareth watched silently as Kael was thrown over and over.
Aeronis noticed her worried expression.
He knew Kael would not reach him like this. And there were still three attempts left. It was still too early to expect anything.
"I should end this… it's almost night anyway."
Meanwhile…
Pant… pant…
"I can't keep up with him… but I still can't give up…"
Kael tried to push himself up again.
But
SWOOSH!
THUD!
"ARGHHH!"
In an instant, Kael was pinned to the ground.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
What…?
That's… impossible… how can he move from that distance in a blink?
Commander Aeronis… I can't afford to be surprised anymore…
His friends also reacted in shock.
But Mayana and DaguGaran stayed silent. For them, this was nothing unusual. it was the Wind Might Ability they had seen countless times from Aeronis… the Speed Burst. In fact, this was still one of his most basic techniques.
Kael's gaze slowly shifted upward.
The sky was darkening. Stars were beginning to appear, one by one.
He couldn't move anymore. The pressure holding him down was too heavy.
So this is it…
Another defeat…
Aeronis stood over him, watching quietly. His mechanical boots had stopped their pumping sound. His cape rested still against his back. Even the flickering metal cage sphere beside Kael dimmed slightly in the fading light.
He lost.
The first attempt had failed.
Aeronis released him and stood up straight. The ice sword in his hand slowly melted away into mist.
Then he smiled lightly at Kael lying on the ground.
So that's it… our first attempt at the test ended.
"Ye… yeah… I accept that… Commander… I lose," Kael admitted.
Commander Aeronis then offered his hand and pulled Kael back up to his feet.
"Thanks, Commander…" Kael smiled, still barely standing.
"Well… I must admit something," Aeronis said, tapping Kael's shoulder lightly. "I'm a little surprised by your intelligence with those inventions, Kael."
He then turned his gaze toward everyone, especially Kael's friends who had helped in his training and smiled.
"You guys trained him well. But remember… Kael is a human. He needs training suited for him, and something that pushes him to his limit if you want him to grow."
All of them nodded.
Commander Aeronis then clapped his hands once.
"Alright, that's it, guys. The test is over."
He gave them a final smile, then prepared to leave. Mayana and DaguGaran stood on either side of him silent, disciplined. For a commander like him, even a second mattered.
"Sorry for the rush, Kael. I need to leave. There are important matters I have to deal with tomorrow…"
He tapped Kael's shoulder one last time, then looked around the backyard for a final moment before turning away.
But before Aeronis could leave, Kael suddenly stepped forward and offered his hand.
"Commander…"
Aeronis looked at him for a moment before accepting the handshake.
Then Kael lowered his forehead toward Aeronis's hand in respect.
"Thank you, Commander…"
Aeronis gave a small nod while Kael's other friends followed the same gesture shortly after.
Aeronis was slightly surprised by it.
This handshake…
A thing that separates you from many of my students is not just how your brain works… but how you respect those who teach you.
You deserve my praise, Mikael…
A faint smile appeared on Aeronis's face as he looked at Kael one last time.
Then he turned his back and quietly walked away.
Kael stayed silent as he watched him leave.
Slowly, he pulled a wooden chair and sat near his work table. His friends gathered around him, trying to help him relax as he saw Aeronis already leaving through the side of the house.
Kael leaned back and stared at the night sky.
A long sigh escaped him.
"Haaah… it's still a long way to go…"
He let out a small, tired laugh.
"Well… yeah… no one in their right mind would think they could defeat the Commander of the East with just six months of training…"
Meanwhile
Aeronis walked ahead in silence.
"Emiretus… where did I hear that name before…"
His eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to grasp a memory that refused to exist.
and that sphere…I didn't really mind at first…. But that thing surely disturbs my might energy when I hit that using my ice might sword… That bright light….." Another thought of fight between him and Kael replaying on his mind
"Commander? You alright?" Mayana asked.
"Yeah… yeah. I'm fine," Aeronis replied quickly. "Just thinking about tomorrow's strategy."
They nodded and continued walking.
And just like that… the night swallowed the test….